Plant · P-505

Sapodilla

Manilkara zapota

Sapodilla is a tropical evergreen tree from southern Mexico and Central America grown for a rough brown fruit that turns to soft, juicy pear-and-brown-sugar flesh once fully ripe - picked hard, it is unpleasantly astringent with latex. The same tree is the original source of chicle, the latex once chewed as the base of chewing gum and still used in dentistry, and its dense heartwood is strong enough for railway ties and furniture. It needs tropical warmth: even mature wood is damaged by a few hours near 26 F, so it only survives real winter cold under cover. Left unpruned it becomes a 60 to 100 ft shade tree, but an orchard tree is kept pruned to about 12 to 15 ft to keep the fruit within reach.